While

Question

Why should it be "while I was walking"? "While I walked I saw him"

Persian Learner · Accepted Answer

Because 'walking' has an ongoing sense in your context: something happened (seeing him) in the middle of something else (walking). So, walking was in progress when you saw him.

CalifJim · Answer

Tara2
Why should it be "while I was walking"?
"While I walked I saw him"

'while' indicates action during a period of time. It forces a period interpretation on the following verb, so 'was walking' is not absolutely required. Nevertheless, the simple form is usually used with 'while' only when both parts of the sentence signify activity: My friend jogged while I walked. And the famous Nero fiddled while Rome burned.

Without such a symmetric arrangement of verbs, however, it's better to use the continuous tense after 'while'. The earthquake struck while Jerry was mowing the lawn.

By the way, since I saw him is not an activity, action, or event, it doesn't work well in the given pattern.

CJ

Other posts on this topic:

And here's a post that has a little exercise at the end that you might like to try.

CJ

Mr. Tom · Answer

Brave man, CJ!

Given our search engine, how did you dredge up those old threads from the site's collective unconscious? Google?

Tom

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